People are generally familiar with notification systems that employ a variety of annunciation devices. As used herein, annunciate means to announce. Annunciation, therefore, may be performed through auditory, visual, or any other form of communication. Events are announced with an annunciation device, and examples of common events that are annunciated include the arrival of a voice message, annunciated on a mobile phone, and the ending of a school day, annunciated via an audio speaker. As may be appreciated from these examples, the nature of each event may dictate one or more target recipients (i.e., in the voice message example, the target recipient may be a singular owner of the mobile phone, and in the end of the school day example, the target recipients may be a group of individuals within an emission range of the audio speaker).
In the context of a predefined area, such as an aircraft cabin, conventional systems, such as an in-flight entertainment system (IFE) and a cabin management system (CMS), often utilize an annunciation system that may be seen and/or heard by everyone in the aircraft cabin. Providing event information to all people in the predefined area is suitable for information that is for general consumption. However, technological problems remain, including distinguishing and managing scenarios in which it is desirable that event information to be selectively and discretely distributed to an intended recipient. Providing event information to only authorized, intended recipients(s) is referred to herein as selective annunciation of events.
Accordingly, systems and methods capable of processing event information, determining intended recipient(s) for the event information, and selectively annunciating the event to the intended recipient(s) are desirable. The following disclosure provides a technological solution to this technological problem, as well as addressing related issues.